Sailboat



May 25,, 1943. R. V. .uzmmucss SAIL BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.-13, 1939 3 .3 5 w x a 8 E .9 9 9 w a 9 i a. LHHHMHHIHF HHMH f a 4 w M MUM a? w 9.9:. W o r/v x 9 i L a 9 n w 7 3 a W a M a 1 1.. Hutu w m a w 9" .m a M m 4 a j 0 1 Snnentor May 25, 1943. I R. v. JENNINGS 2,319,999

SAIL BOAT File d Dec. 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 25, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- SAILBQAT Richard vrJennings, Ann Arbor, Mich. Application December 13, 1939, Serial No;

Claims.

This invention relates to sail boats and in particular to sail boats equipped with relatively rigid sails.

One object of this invention is to provide a sail boat with a substantially rigid sail which is movably supported in such a manner that the sail may be placediat the most suitable angle relatively to the wind for eifecting the most efficient propulsion of the boat.

Another object is to provide a sail boat having substantially rigid sails mounted upon a mast by means of a universal joint mechanism at an intermediate position on the sail so that the mast does not interrupt or interfere with the free flow of air to the leading edge of the sail.

Another object is to provide a sail boat having a substantially rigid sail composed of a plurality of wing-like structures in multiple, overlapping, spaced arrangement ad-J'ustably mounted upon a support, such as a mast, so that the multiple wings may be presented at any desirable angle to the wind or placed in a substantially horizontal plane in order to achieve a reefing effect as well as to-obtain a lifting effect which will tend to lift the craft and reduce its draft.

Another object is to provide a sail boatj having a substantially rigid, wing-like sail whichis adjustably mounted near its center of effort/ upon a mast at a point remote from the deck so that the deck is free from rigging or adjacent swinging booms which in prior art sailing craft endanger the safety of the crew.

Another object of this invention is to, provide a sail boat having a rotatable vertical support, such as a mast, upon which a substantially rigid sail is pivotally supported, preferably at 'a' location spaced apart from its leading edge so that lapping, spaced sails pivotally supported thereon and of substantially rigid, wing-like construction, the sails being supported at a location remote from their leading edges and havinga relatively constant cross section so that the arch of both surfaces. of each sail is substantially uniform along its entire length,-in contrast with the varying. camber and twisting of the fiexiblejcloth sails of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a sail boat with multiple, spaced, substantially rigid sails as set forth in the preceding object wherein this spacing and arrangement of the sails results in an increased'slot effect and gives a jib effect running the entire length of the sails.

Another object is to provide a sail boat with multiple, overlapping, substantially rigid sails at least one of which is provided with a relatively movable flap so that the slot effect can be varied and the lift of the rigid sail correspondingly varied. T

Another object is to provide a sail boat with a substantially rigid sail having a substantially air foil cross section requiring no filling out by the wind, but responsive to the slightest breeze, the rigid sail being pivotally mounted upon a mast in such a manner as to enable its surfaces to be most efficiently presented to the'wind for efficient propulsion of the boat, and particularly enabling the boat to be held closer to the wind, without loss of efiicienc'y, than sail boats with ordinary flexible cloth sails.

Another object is to provide a sail boat having multiple, overlapping, substantially rigid sails mounted on a cross boom pivoted to an arm, which in turn is pivotally mounted upon a mast or other vertical support remote from the deck, the sail being positioned by manipulating the arm with the assistance-of an additional member secured to the sail remote from its pivotal connection with the arm.

Another object is to provide a sail boat/having a multiple overlapping substantially rigid sail structure mounted as set forth in the preceding object wherein an additional flap is movably secured to one of the sails and adjustably positioned by mechanism connected to the previously mentioned sail adjusting member in order to move the flap relatively to the sail so as to induce air flow between th sails, or to close the spaces between the sails as desired.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a preferred embodiment of a sail boat accord ing to the present invention; w

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sail boat shown in Fig. 1; Q

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, abaft the mast and looking forward; f p

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the top of the mast and the adjacent mechanism for pivotally supporting the rigid sail structure and adjustable flap;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic end elevation looking forward from a position astern and showing the rigid sails moved into a horizontal position to give a reefing effect or to bring the boat to rest;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the boat sailing high on the wind;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the boat sailing with the wind abeam; and

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Figs. 6 and '7, but with the boat sailing before the wind with the wind astern.

General arrangement In general, the sail boat of this invention on sists of a hull having a vertical mast with a series of overlapping substantially rigid sails piv otally supported upon the top of the mast by means of a cross boom pivoted to an arm which, in turn, is pivoted to a mast. The sails are preferably of wing-like construction with an air foil cross section tapering from its point of maximum thickness forwardly to its leading edge and rearwardly a greater distance to its trailin edge. One of the sails preferably has a flap movably mounted adjacent thereto in such a manner as to permit the swinging of the flap relatively to the sail, this swinging being effected by mechanism controllable from the cockpit. The mast itself is preferably mounted for rota- ,fl tion so asto-enabl-e the rigid sail to be swun Referring to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the sail boat of this invention as, having a hull ID with a deck H and cockpit l2, also a keel l3 and rudder 4 mounted on the rudder post I5 and com trolled by the tiller l6 upon the rudder head H.

The hull is provided with the usual ribs l8 (Fig. 3) and cross beams I9 upon which is mounted a base 20 having a bearing 2| for rotatably supporting the lower end 22 of the rotatable mast 23. The latter is also rotatably supported in a bearing member 24 secured to the underside of the deck I and having a collar 25 mounted on the mast adjacent thereto. Likewise, mounted on the mast 23 is a worm gear 26 with which meshes a worm 2'! (Fig.3) mounted upon a worm shaft 28, the worm shaft 28 carrying a hand wheel 23. The worm shaft 28 is rotatably mounted in the bracket 3|] depending By this means from the bearing member 24. the mast 23 may be rotated by turning the hand wheel 29.

The mast 23 may be of solid or tubular con struction if desired, a tubular mast being shown for purposes of illustration. The upper end of the mast 23 is provided with an oflset head 3| having a pivot portion 32 upon which an arm 33 is pivotally mounted. One end of the arm 33 is provided with a yoke portion 34 to which is secured the upper pulley block 35, carrying tackle 36 which also is threaded through the lower pulley block 31 (Fig. 1) and anchored to the cleat 38 upon the mast 23. The lower pulleyblock is mounted upon a bracket 39 secured to a portion of the mast 23 near the deck 1 The opposite end of the arm 33 is provided with a yoke portion 40 carrying a pivot pin 4| (Fig. 4), this arrangement serving to pivotally support the cross boom 42 of the sail structure, generally designated 43.

The portion 40 is pivoted to the cross boom 42 in the vicinity of the center of effort of the tail.

The end members 44 of the sail structure 43 are provided with brackets 45 from which run stays 46 extending to a pin 41 passing through a portion of the arm 33.

The sail structure 43 consists of a plurality of overlapping, spaced, rigid sail 48, 49 and 50, and a cooperating movable flap 5|. The latter is pivotally supported by the pivot pins 52 mounted on the end members 44, and upon the pivot pin 53 mounted upon the cross boom 42. The latter also carries a bracket 54 which rotatably supports a shaft 55, the upper end of which carries a crank 56 pivotally connected to a link 51 which, at its other end, is pivotally anchored to a yoke 58 secured to the flap 5| at a location spaced away from the pivot pin 53. The lower end of the shaft 55 carries a universal joint 59 to which is connected a control rod 60 terminating at its lower end in a handle 6|.

The control rod 60 thus serves the double purpose of controlling the tilting of the sail structure 43 as a Whole, and also the tilting of the movable flap 5| relatively to the sail 50. The former may be achieved merely by pulling longitudinally upon the rod 6|], and the latter by merely rotating the rod 60 to turn the crank arm 56, thereby shifting the flap 5| from its solid line to its dotted line position (Fig. 4) or vice versa. The positioning of the sail structure 43 is also, however, partially brought about by manipulating the hand wheel 29 to rotate the mast 23, and by operating the tackle 36 so as to raise or lower the adjacent end of the arm 33 about its pivot 32. By these manipulations. the sail structure 43 may be placed at any desired angle relatively to the hull H], the Wind or the surface of the water.

Operation In the operation of the invention, when the boat is at rest, the sail structure 43 i placed in a substantially horizontal position as shown in Fig. 5. This is accomplished by hoisting upon the tackle 36 to swing the arm 33 downward and move the yoke portion 40 and pivot pin 4| above the mast head 3|. At the same time, the control rod (ill i pushed or pulled to properly position the sail structure 43 in its opposite meridian.

To propel the boat and so as to get under way, the sail structure 43 must be positioned according to the prevailing wind and the course. To sail a boat upon a course which is high on the wind, as in Fig. 6, the sail structure 43 is set as shown in Fig. 6. This is done by rotating the mast 23 by means of the hand wheel 29, paying out the tackle 36 so as to raise the arm 33 and. at the same time, pulling upon the control rod 6|] so as to swing the sail structure 43 until it lies almost in a fore and aft position. In this manner the boat may be sailed well into the wind without loss of efficiency.

The sails 48, 49 and 5!] and the movable flap 5|, being substantially rigid, possess unvarying cambers so that the effect of the push given to the wind to one side of the sail, and the pull given by the suction on the other side of the sail. does not vary in anything like the same degree as it does in the ordinary flexible cloth sail. The boat requires very little rudder action because the rig can always be balanced relatively to the hull and, to the wind by revolving the mast with the aid of the hand wheel 29. The arm 33 is effort of the sail structure 43 and preferably at a point slightly on the opposite side thereof from the leading edge of the sail 48. This arrangement facilitates the control of the sail structure 43 by means of the arm 33 andcontrol rod'GD.

As the arch of each sail in cross section is substantially uniform along its entire length, the propelling effect of the sail does not vary Widely between different portions of its area as is the case with flexible cloth sails. The present sail structure, moreover, being mounted at a location away from its leading edge, is not hampered by the eddy currents set up by the mast as in the ordinary sail boat with a flexible cloth sail. In the latter, the mast by its eddy currents disrupts the air flow along the edge of the sail and greatly decreases its efllciency. The substantial rigidity of the sails prevents the twisting thereof as in ordinary cloth sails and requires no preliminary filling out before the sail can operate. The rigid sails of the present invention are always set to catch the slightest breeze and together form one unit which can be held very close to the wind without loss of efficiency.

The spacing of the rigid sails, moreover, gives an increased slot effect or jib efiect running the full length of the sails. This slot effect can be varied by manipulating the flap through the rotation of the control rod 60. By this means the lift of the sail can be greatly increased with a given \m'nd.

The sailing of a craft equipped with the sail structure of this invention is also greatly facilitated by reason of the fact that there are few parts to endanger the crew. The boom 42 is located high above the deck H out of the danger zone in the vicinity of the cockpit l2, and there is very little rigging in which the crew may be entangled. Moreover, the heeling over of the craft is greatly reduced by the present invention as compared with ordinary flexible cloth sails, so that the danger of capsizing is correspondingly reduced. This danger, in the event of a sudden squall, may be still further reduced by giving the sail structure a reefing effect by pulling it upward toward a horizontal plane. At an intermediate position, the sail may be arranged so that it possesses a lifting effect as Well as a propelling effect, thereby intending to decrease the draft of the boat and consequently to increase its speed.

To sail the boat with the wind abeam, as shown in Fig. 6, the sail is positioned slightly at an angle to a transverse plane. The flap 5| is manipulated at this time so as to give the maximum effi ciency to the sail structure 43. This adjustment, as previously stated, is made by adjusting the control rod 60.

To sail before the wind, as shown in Fig. 8, the sail structure 43 is positioned also near a transverse plane and the flap 5| again adjusted to give the most beneficial effect. The sails 48, 49, 50 and 5| are then held with their leading edges directed toward the wind so that there arises a slot effect which enhances the sailing qualities of the rig. This slot effect is absent with a flexible cloth rig under such circumstances because the main sail blankets out the jib,

When the boat is sailing high on the wind as Well as on any other relation of the wind to the sails, the latter can be adjusted by manipulating the hand wheel 29, tackle 36 and and the control rod 60 so as to keep the center of effort of the sails in the proper relationship of the center of lateral resistance, thus insuring a perfeet balance for the rig. To tack, the rudder I4 and'tillen l6 are placed hard over while the tackle 36 is pulled so as to pull the arm 38down and the sail structure 43 up to the original position. The tackle 36 is then released, letting the sail structure 43 down on the opposite side of the mast. This presents the concave side of thesailto thewindh The flap 5lis provided with an arm 62 engaged by a spring 83 connected to one of the endmernbers 44 (Fig. 2). By this means the flap '5l is urged substantially into alignment with the sail 50, returning to that position when the handle SI of the control rod 60 is released by the operator.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that various modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a sailing craft with a hull, a mast supported by said hull, an arm pivotally mounted on said mast at a location remote from said hull, a substantially rigid main sail pivotally mounted on said arm, a flap sail mounted adjacent an edge of said main sail and hingedly mounted on said sail, rotary mechanism disposed remote from said arm for adjustably moving said flap sail relatively to said mairf'sailyanda 'controi member operatively connected to said mechanism, said control member being rotatable for positioning said flap sail relatively to said main sail and movable longitudinally for positioning said main sail and flap sail relatively to said hull.

2. In a sailing craft with a hull, a mast supported by said hull, an arm pivotally mounted on said mast at a location remote from said hull, a substantially rigid main sail pivotally mounted on said arm, a movable flap sail hingedly mounted adjacent an edge of said main sail, mechanism for adjustably moving said flap sail relatively to said main sail, and a single sail control member connected to said main sail at a location remote from said arm, said single sail control member being rotatable in one direction for operating said mechanism to swing the flap sail relatively to said main sail and longitudinally movable in another direction to shift said main sail relatively to said hull.

3. In a sailing craft with a hull, a mast supported by said hull, an arm pivotally mounted on said mast at a location remote from said hull, a substantially rigid main sail pivotally mount ed on said arm, a movable flap sail hingedly mounted adjacent an edge of said main sail, a sail control mechanism disposed remote from said arm and connected to the main sail and flap sail for adjustably moving said flap sail relative to said main sail, and a manual sail control member operatively connected to said mechanism for operating said mechanism to manipulate said flap sail and said main sail, said manual sail control member being rotatable in one direction for operating said mechanism to swing the flap sail relatively to said main sail and longitudinally movable in another direction to shift said main sail relatively to said hull.

4. In a sailing craft with a hull, a mast supported by said hull, a substantially rigid main sail, means for pivotally supporting said main sail on said mast, a flap sail adjacent and hingedly mounted relatively to said main sail,

mechanism .for adjustab'ly moving said flap sail relatively to said main sail disposed remote from said pivotal supporting means, and a sail control member operatively connected to said mechanism, said sail control member being rotatable ln one direction for operating said mechanism to swing said flap sail relatively to said main sail and longitudinally movable in another direction to move said main sail relatively to said hull.

5. In a sailing craft withv a hull, a rotatable mast supported by said hull, a substantially rigid main sail, means for pivotally supporting said main sail on said rotatable mast, a flap sail adjaoent and movably mounted relatively to said main sail, mechanismior adjustably moving said flap sail relatively to said main sail disposed remote from said pivotal supporting means, and a sail control member operatively connected to said mechanism, said sail control member being rotatable in one direction for operating said mechanism to swing said flap sail relatively to said main sail and longitudinally movable in another direction to move said main sail relatively to said hull.

RICHARD V. JENNINGS 

